Several insurance companies are refusing to cover emergency room visits, telling their policy holders/patients that they must pay for emergency services if the insurer deems the ER visit “unnecessary”. This new policy began with Anthem Insurance Company, which decides whether to pay an emergency room bill based on a doctor’s diagnosis — not the reason the patient went to the hospital. Health experts say this new policy will scare patients away from emergency departments – patients who could potentially have a life-threatening condition. Insurance attorneys are filing complaints against such insurers, claiming they violate federal and state law.